Ma Belle Evangeline
by MoonageDaydream23
Summary: My friend came up with a little theory about why Ray was so in love with a star.  I expanded on it, because it's the cutest thing ever.  Ray/Evangeline
1. Prologue

New Orleans was aglow with the radiance of fireflies, dancing through the sultry summer sky. The front lawn of every mansion, the trees along every rue were shining brilliant gold. But the people watching them from their porches and windows were oblivious to one thing: each and every one of these glimmering lights was alive. These were no mere decorations, but living, breathing beings with personalities and stories of their own.

Some of these stories were as mundane as Cletus still spiraling around in a daze from having run into a window, or Tammy's narrow escape from a child's hands. But sometimes, every once in a long while, there was a story as beautiful and poignant as the tale of Ray and his Evangeline. Two lovers, shining brightly as the stars, inseparable by all but the greatest of forces.

This is their story. The story of why he gazes at the stars every night. The story of how she gave her heart to him. The story the deepest, truest love the bayou had ever known.


	2. She'll Fly to You On Delicate Wings

The big city may have been peppered with moving dots of light, but once the chimneys gave way to cypresses and the cobblestones to spongy bog, the entire sky was glowing golden. Fireflies swirled in every inch of space, dancing and cheering and generally having a grand old time as only bayou folks could.

"Yeah, lookin' good dere, Cousin Otis!" crowed a bug with broken teeth and a few strands of wispy red hair. The skinny weed of a firefly glowed brightly as he swung his partner around in a circle. "Bon-soir, dere, Leanne!" The broken-toothed firefly darted on tattered wings through the crowd until he found a smaller bug. "Gotta love a good ol' party, yeahright!"

"Hey, Ray-Ray, how come ya'll ain't dancin'?" asked the other bug, with her hands on her hips.

"Jes' lookin' fo' a gal who can keep up wit' me, know what I'm sayin', Angela?" Ray asked with a mischievous grin.

"Somebody who can't dance even when he ain't leadin'?" Angela shot back, grinning with all four of her teeth. Ray laughed—the whole family knew he was the proud carrier of two left wings, but that didn't stop him from joining in the festivities when the sun went down. "Come on, Raymond, we gon' get you t' stop actin' like some kinda waiter o' sumtin'."

"Angela!" Ray feigned shock as she took two of his hands and started to drag him into the middle of the fray. "Dat like dancin' wit' ma sista o' sometin'!"

"It is dancin' wit' yo sista," Angela retorted. "What do ya'll care anyhow? You ain't got a girl t' dance wit', might as well be me!"

"Jes' rip ma wings out, darlin', rip 'em right outta me." Both of them laughed, and Ray swung Angela around in a wide circle to the delight of the whole family. Ray was always the life of the party, chattering away to anyone who would listen and bringing a smile to everyone's face, but it was rare to see him actually join in.

"Hey, Ray-Ray, ya'll heard o' de new bug in de bayou?" asked Angela after a while. "Dey're sayin' she a city bug—no idea 'bout life in de swamp, no way."

"Dat don' mean nuttin'," Ray laughed. "Jes' mean we gotta teach her's all. She gon' be part o' de family in no time, yeah."

"When you get yo' hands on here, I'm sho' she will," Angela smirked. "Ya'll get fireflies from miles 'round to join in de fun. If'n anyone can get de city bug a good welcome it's you, Ray-Ray."

Ray laughed and turned away from her. "Ya'll flatter me, Angie, yeah."

"It true—oh, look, dere she is!"

Ray whirled around so fast he was sure he had ripped another hole in his wings. The "city bug" was flying slowly towards the party, face turned down, but green eyes looking shyly up at the other fireflies. Her wings were perfect gossamer, and her antennae stood straight out of a neat pile of bright red hair. Ray felt his heart skipping a beat just looking at her, even if she did give off the unmistakable aura of being different.

"She a city bug all right," noted Angela derisively. "Look, she even got all her teef! Hey, Ray, where'd ya go?"

The city bug, too, froze in surprise when she realized Ray was right next to her. "Don't be afraid, chere, I ain't gon' hurt ya. Jes' comin' t' say hi dere, yeah!" The bug blinked her long eyelashes at him and seemed to glow a little brighter. "Dat right, we friendly here in de swamp, yeah! My name Raymond, everybody call me Ray."

"E-Evangeline," said the city bug in a melodious, whispery voice.

"Well, wouldja look at dat? She talks!" Ray laughed. "And iff'n dat ain't de purdiest name I eva did hear! Ya'll dance, Evangeline?" And as he led her right into the middle of the party, it stopped mattering that he was the worst dancer in the family. All that mattered was that they were glowing brighter than any of the stars in the sky, brighter than the moon itself.


	3. Bout Time I Introduced Mahself

The radiant gold had slowly disippated, leaving the swamp bathed in silver moon- and starlight. Only two fireflies remained outside the shelter of the leaves and grass. They zoomed around to the tune of the breeze and their own beating wings until finally, one took notice of the absence of anyone else.

"You're one heckuva dancer dere, cher," Ray complimented, leadiner her gently to the fluffy white top of a dandelion.

Evangeline blushed a darker green. "Thank you," she said in a voice that could have been lost in the whispering of the trees. Both were silent for a moment as Ray drank in her beauty, and Evangeline absorbed the splendor of the bayou. "There are so many stars here…" she breathed finally.

"Yeah…" Ray sighed dreamily, grinning vaguely at her. He shook himself suddenly when he caught himself staring and coughed, hoping she hadn't noticed. "So, uh… donchya'll got stars ova in de big city?"

"Some," Evangeline replied. "But nothing like this… they're all covered up by the lights from folks' windows and the smoke from their chimneys." She sighed, her melancholy expression twisting Ray's heart.

"Dat why ya left?" he asked gently.

"Part of the reason," Evangeline answered, nodding once. "I just… I didn't fit in there. I never did. Everyone's so formal and strict. Every night, the minute the sun goes down, we _have_ to be out to foxtrot with the first firefly who asks us. It's supposed to help us find mates, but…"

"You ain't interested," finished Ray, light flickering with disappointment.

"Not in any of them," said Evangeline. "But my parents demand that I marry this one… Henri…" She didn't say anything, but from the way she tensed, the way her hands curled into little fists, Ray got all he needed to know. "I had to leave. I had to."

"You welcome here," Ray said with a smile. "We swamp bugs migh' not be so suave n' sophistical, but we knows how t' treat folks real nice, yeah."

"Thank you," she whispered. Much to his surprise, she leaned her head on Ray's shoulder. His wings fluttered happily, and he put his arm around her shoulder. "So many stars…" she murmured again.

Ray smiled, wanting to keep that soft, sweet smile on her face forever. "Y'know, here in de swamp, we likes t' tink dat dose stars is de fireflies we love who ain't wit' us no more." She blinked and looked up at Ray, then the stars. "Dunno if it true. But makes it twice as nice to tink dat when you look at de sky, de folks yo' missin' is lookin' back."

"That's sweet," agreed Evangeline. She yawned and snuggled more into Ray.

"Tired, cher?" he asked her. She nodded. "Den c'mon, ya'll stayin' wit' me. My grandmama n' my sista won' mind." He took her hand and led her back into the air.

"Ray?" he heard her ask from behind him.

"What is it, suga?"

"Thank you," she said for the third time that night. "For everything. The dance, the shelter… just being there with me tonight. Thank you."

"It was nuttin', Evangeline," Ray replied, grinning wide enough to show all six of his teeth. His smile lasted all the way back to his grandma's leaf, and all because her hand didn't leave his through the entire flight. Not once.


	4. Life in the Swamp

"Grandmama, we home!" Ray called out as he and Evangeline flew into the tree that housed the little trio of swamp bugs. The elderly firefly maneuvered her walker towards them, peering at Evangeline.

"Whaddya mean we?" she croaked, looking hard at Evangeline, who shrank back. Ray squeezed her hand.

"Evangeline gon' be stayin' wit' us fo' a bit, yeah," Ray said happily. "She ain't got nowhere else." Evangeline nodded meekly.

"Well, den, I guess we gotta make room fo' ya," Ray's grandma said slowly. "Angela! Go find a leaf fo' Evelyn here!"

"E-Evangeline," she whispered, but the old bug didn't hear. She'd already turned and flown out of sight.

"'Sall right, cher, Grandmama fo'gets me and Angie's names," chuckled Ray. "But de first rule fo' us swamp bugs is we don't turn nobody away, no. We always dere t' help folks in need!"

"I'm glad," said Evangeline, smiling her adorable, shy smile at him. Ray's wings flapped hard, causing him to lose control and zoom towards Evangeline, who laughed in spite of the fact that he'd nearly slammed into her.

"So, we takin' in de city bug?" Angela called, flying gracefully into the treehole. "'Ya'll got lucky, girl, we only got one leaf t' spare. Martha May n' Sherman all up in arms 'bout Grandmama's light and we can't get no more leaves."

"But dere's one left, and dat's all we need, yeah!" Ray said, zipping happily a few inches higher.

"Well, den, c'mon, let's go get ya'll settled in," Angela said, beckoning for Evangeline to follow her and Ray. Up and up the three fireflies flew, until they reached the very top of the tree. "Dere ya go," Angela announced, showing Evangeline to the second leaf of the topmost branch. "Mornin', den, see ya'll in de night!" And she was gone.

"Ooh, dis a cozy set up dere, yeah!" Ray noted, winging back and forth just above the leaf as Evangeline made herself comfortable. "Look, ya kin see de stars ya love! An' look!" He darted up to the only leaf above hers, and leaned his head out so he was looking at her upside down. "You right unda me!" He heard her soft giggle and glowed brightly, only to be outshone by a blinding flash from the treehole.

"What was that?" gasped Evangeline, bursting into the air.

"Oh, jes' ignore dat, Grandmama got a problem' wit' her butt," chuckled Ray. "Dat why we got so lucky wit' you, findin' you a spot—de neighbas all mad 'cause she keep flashin' 'em." He laughed, then noticed the faint pink tinge coloring the velvet sky. "Whooo, no wonder you so tired, we had ya up all de way till sunrise, yeah!"

"Yeah," Evangeline breathed sleepily. "Good mornin', Ray."

Smiling gently, Ray flipped over so he could watch right side up as she drifted off. "Mo'nin'… Evangeline."

And on it went, night after night. Ray and Evangeline spent hardly a moment out of each other's sight. He made her laugh, she made him smile. She listened patiently to his incessant chatter, he broke her as far out of her shell as she dared to go. After about a month, the entire firefly family decided that she was one of them, a swamp bug in all but accent.

Everything she did made Ray's heart flutter faster than any pair of wings in the bayou had ever gone. Her smile was his starlight, her touch the moon, her laughter the breeze blowing through the mangroves and the cypresses. In his eyes, her glow outshone even his grandmama's flashes.

Late one morning, Ray and Evangeline had just gotten back to the tree after a particularly long hoedown over the swamp. Angela flew up to the top of the tree to greet them, only to find Evangeline already asleep, and Ray looking down over her, that same adoring grin displaying all six teeth.

"Uh-oh, I seen folks wit' dat look before!" Angela teased, snapping Ray out of his trance.

"I don' know what yo' talkin' 'bout," Ray said, but his dreamy smile was still plastered to his face.

"I tinks ya do," his sister said with a grin, turning in the air so her light formed a heart of golden sparkles. "Ray-Ray in love!"

Ray looked up at the heart as the light faded from view, then back down at the slumbering Evangeline. "Yeah…" he sighed. "'Guess I am."


	5. Love Always Finds A Way, It's True

Days later, Ray and Evangeline were perched on another fluffy white dandelion, Evangeline snuggled up against his thorax while Ray pointed out who he thought various stars were.

"Dat my Uncle Jethro, see de way he blinkin' on an' off?" Ray asked, pointing. Evangeline murmured her yes, and Ray held her tighter with the arm that wasn't pointing skyward. "And dat my granddaddy—Evangeline? You all right, dere, cherie?" She had gone stiff, looking straight off into the distance at a small set of glowing lights approaching from the exact direction of New Orleans. "Now who in de heck could dat be?" Ray wondered aloud. "It sho' is late fo' anybody to be comin' down dis-a-way…"

"They're coming," she whispered, dimming her light as much as possible and darting behind Ray. He put a hand over hers, and noticed that she was positively trembling.

"Who comin'?" Ray asked, utterly bewildered by Evangeline's abject terror. "Evangeline, chere, who comin'?" But his question was answered for him when the group stopped right in front of them. Leading the quintet was a burly bug with a bowler hat perched over the sleek dark hair between his antennae and a thin mustache over a nasty grin.

"Why, hello there, Evangeline," he said smoothly, fluttering much too close to Evangeline, completely ignoring Ray and his efforts to hide her. "We've been lookin' all over N'awlins and even this stinkin' cesspit for you."

"I didn't want to be found, Henri" she murmured furiously into Ray's arm. He squeezed her hand behind him, silently telling her it would be okay. He could certainly see why she left the city at any rate—if this was what was pursuing her, you'd have to be an idiot not to.

"Ain't that a shame, fellas?" the burly bug sneered to the seedy little group behind him. "Little Evangeline don't want to make her mama and daddy happy. But that's too bad, because I'm takin' what's mine."

"Hey," Ray piped up, glowering furiously at the bigger bug. "De lady said no. She a swamp bug, now, she one o' us, yeah! She don' wanna go back t' yo' arranged marryin's an' yo' stuffy balls. She wanna be free, yeah!"

"Do ya'll hear somethin' talkin'?" Henri asked the others, who shook their heads. "Me neither. Maybe it's this little bit of pond scum floating her in front of my Evangeline."

"She ain't yo' Evangeline," Ray retorted, glowing red now. He released Evangeline's hand and flew closer to Henri, glowering. He wasn't afraid of any city bugs, especially when they treated the girl he loved like some kind of object.

"Ray, no!" she breathed, but he hardly heard her.

"You know what we do to pond scum in the city?" asked Henri calmly. "We squash ya. We throw you under the first set of feet we can and we _squash_ ya like the worthless little-"

"He's not worthless," hissed Evangeline, making Ray's glow turn right back to gold. He may have been incensed, but he was so proud of the way she was sticking up for herself, and for him! "He's a better bug than you'll ever be."

Henri was silent for a moment, but neither Ray nor Evangeline liked the way his grin was unfurling. "Well, well, well, pond scum, looks like my girl's taken a shining to you. Guess I'll just have to crush you extra hard!" And he zoomed towards Ray, fists clenched, ready to knock Ray flying into the nearest tree. Ray closed his eyes, ready to take any amount of bodily damage to keep her safe. At the exact moment he went tumbling into a tree from the force of Henri's blow, Evangeline screamed.

"Henri, no!" was her cry, louder than Ray had ever heard her speak. "Henri, I love him!"

Both of her suitors froze, hovering in place, completely dumbfounded. _"What?" _demanded Henri, eyes burning brighter than his glow.

"… what?" Ray said, amazed eyes turning towards Evangeline from the ground. Yeah, he'd loved her since the moment she'd turned up that night at the hoedown, but he'd never in a million years expected her to love someone like him. Evangeline's perfect green orbs caught his, and she nodded demurely. He grinned, forgetting his undignified position in a crumpled heap on the ground. She took advantage of the city bug's stunned silence to dart over to him.

"Are you all right?" she whispered, helping him get right side up and airborne again.

"I'm much betta now hearin' ya say stuff like dat," Ray said truthfully, glowing brighter than any star in the sky. Evangeline leaned in towards Ray, ready to kiss him, when the growl of fury rumbling from Henri's throat brought both of them back to their senses. "C'mon, Evangeline, we gotta get outta here. We gotta get far outta here." He grabbed her hand and started pulling her skyward, hoping Henri's bulk would be enough to slow him down.

"Now wait—where are we goin'?" she asked, shooting a terrified glance at the tiny gang now starting to rise up after them.

"Somewheres safe!" was Ray's response. "And trust me, darlin', I knows just de place."


	6. We All Be There For You

"Ray," gasped Evangeline, struggling now to stay airborne on her exhausted wings. "How… much… further?"

"Hang in dere, chere," Ray said, chancing a look back to flash her a reassuring smile. After what felt like hours, they were still buzzing at breakneck speed through the shrubs and pricker bushes. "We almost dere." They'd been zig-zagging all over the swamp, darting in and under every plant Ray could find, never daring to look back for more than an instant. Truthfully, he was as exhausted as she was, but he'd promised to get her to his safe place and he was going to do it if it killed him. With her confession ringing nonstop in his head, he couldn't possibly break that oath.

Evangeline gave a soft cry of exhaustion and fell a few inches… straight into Ray's arms. He'd darted below her to catch her when her wings gave out. "Don' worry 'bout nuttin', ma belle," he murmured, knowing she was about to apologize for not being able to fly so quickly for so long. "We really ain't far now, no. Ole Ray gon' carry ya de rest o' de way."

Before long, the biggest tree in the bayou loomed before them, dripping with Spanish moss and wreathed with fog. Ray felt Evangeline shrink back against his thorax. 'S awright, darlin'," Ray said, grinning as he lifted her towards the shrimp boat perched precariously in the tree's upper boughs. "Dis is it, yeah!" They slipped through a hole in the boat's hull, perching on one of the rotting wooden shelves inside.

"Thanks, Ray," Evangeline murmured, slipping out of his arms to settle on the shelf.

"Don' mention it," Ray said, gently landing next to her and drawing her close. "Hey, Evangeline?" he asked after a moment.

"Mmm?" She was lost in the warm, safe feeling of being with Ray and away from Henri, simply soaking in the first moment of true peace and contentment she'd ever felt.

"Whatchya said, bad dere, at him… didja mean it?" Ray's wings fluttered hopefully, and Evangeline opened her eyes to look deeply into his.

"'Course I did, Ray," she said with a smile that would have lit the dark room even without the help of her glow. "You're sweet, and fun, and totally unlike anyone in the city, and… and… you light up the whole swamp just by being you. How could any gold-glowin' girl not love you?"

"Evangeline, dat de most beautiful ting anyone eva said t' me," breathed Ray, and suddenly, the whole tree was alight. Both fireflies' abdomens were blazing with their joy and love, because Ray, lost for words for the first time ever, had turned his head towards Evangeline and kissed her. "J'adore… j'taime…" he whispered between kisses. _I adore you… I love you._ "Evangeline…"

Suddenly, he felt her go tense as a fiddle string, saw her eyes go wide with horror. "Evangeline, darlin', what's wrong?" He turned, and saw very clearly, what was wrong.

A huge green python had slithered over, raising its triangular head to the level of their shelf and staring at the two fireflies with ruby red eyes. Its forked tongue darted in and out of its mouth, flicking against Evangeline's abdomen and making her jump back with a shriek.

Ray laughed with relief, causing Evangeline to stare at him. "'S awright, darlin', dat snake real friendly, yeah! He ain't gon' hurt us, no way."

"What makes you so sure?" Evangeline asked, the dubious look never leaving her face even as the snake slunk back into the shadows.

"Jes' trust me, Evangeline, I ain't neva gon' let nuttin' hurtcha," Ray promised, kissing her cheek gently. And she had to believe him… but that didn't stop her from jumping a foot into the air when the silence was split by a raspy screech.

"JUJU!" The snake reappeared, though this time it was stiff as a stick, its tail being held by a small, wrinkled old human lady dressed all in white, dark glasses hiding her eyes from view. "Why didncha tell me we had guests?"

"Hi dere, Mama Odie!" Ray called out, bursting into the air with a wide grin.

"Ray, ya'll ain't been t' see yo' mama in a long time, now!" Mama Odie scolded, but her toothless mouth was stretched in a smile.

"Sorry 'bout dat, Mama, been a busy coupla munts in de swamp, yeah!" Ray chuckled, squeezing Evangeline's hand.

"I kin see dat." Mama Odie gave a merry little cackle as she set to lighting the candles that gave the boat a warm, red-gold glow. The snake, now draped over her shoulders like a scaly scarf, looked straight at the bugs, sniffing at a still-terrified Evangeline with its tongue. "I sees you fin'lly got yo'self a gal, Ray!"

"Dis Evangeline," Ray announced, glowing brighter than the candlelight just to say her name. She nodded, but didn't move out from behind Ray. "It's awright, baby, dey my friends, dey won' do nuttin' bad. Say hello, c'mon!"

"Hi," she whispered, and that was enough for Ray.

"Shy li'l thang, ain't she?" laughed Mama Odie. "'S okay, chile, Ray talks enough fo' two even when he don' need t'! Ya'll make yo'selves comf'table now, and dat bad ol' bug won' neva come near ya'll again. Ya'll got watcha need, and dat enough to keep ya'll safe an' togedda." And she shuffled out of sight, humming a jazzy little tune as she went.

"Well, now, ain' dat nice dere, yeah!" Ray said, giving Evangeline's shoulder a little squeeze. "Mama Odie an' her voodoo gon' protect ya an' keep ya safe an' nobody gon' mess wit' my girl neva again, no! 'Cause she know all we need each udda an—why ya still lookin' so scared, ma belle?"

"Voodoo?" she whispered, trembling. "Like the Shadow Man's kind of voodoo? Oh, _Ray-_"

Ray didn't know who this Shadow Man was, but if the thought of him could cause such terror in Evangeline, that was all he needed. "Mama Odie only eva helps folks when dey in a pinch, she neva do nuttin' bad, no. How many times I gotta say you safe wit' me, girl? She say he ain't takin' ya'll back to de city? He ain't takin' ya'll back to de city."

Evangeline smiled—in spite of her earlier fears, she knew that her Ray would never lead her into trouble or try to hurt her. "It's just… All I know about voodoo is that the Shadow Man, who cons people into giving them their money, or worse, their souls. Even us fireflies are scared of him. But your Mama Odie seems real nice. I guess things aren't always the way they look."

Ray thought her words over. "Dat a good rule to live by, fo' sho. Lookie here, I got myself a gal who brilliant and beautiful!"

Evangeline blushed and leaned her head against Ray's thorax. "It's true, though," she said thoughtfully. "When I first came to the swamp, I thought it was just dark and dreary, full of nothin' but slime and moss.. but you and your family showed me that it's the loveliest place in the whole world!" She was grinning broadly now, which would have been enough to make Ray's heart soar all the way up to her beloved stars even if it wasn't such a rare occasion. "And you! The bugs in the city might think you're… well…" Her face turned dark green again, but Ray only chuckled.

"A stupid, no 'count, wort'less ole hillbilly?" he supplied. Evangeline only giggled—a yes, but he didn't mind one bit.

"But you're really the most wonderful firefly I've ever, ever met." Ray gazed adoringly at her as she leaned up, twisting in his embrace. "My king of the night…" she whispered, just before their lips met.

When the brief peck ended, Ray uttered the truest words ever to escape the lips of any firefly in the bayou. "I love you, ma belle Evangeline."


	7. Look How She Lights Up the Sky

**AN:** The song in the beginning is called Life in the Swamp, and it's from the Princess and the Frog Bayou Boogie tie in album. Give it a listen, it's on iTunes and it's tons of fun! ^^ But when you're reading thsi chapter, prepare for serious mood whiplash. You have been warned.

* * *

"_Fly to de left side, fly to de right side  
__Everywhere I go, I'm always on de bright side  
__It's true  
__Dere always sometin' to do  
__When ya light up de swamp, just by bein' you!"_

Nearly a year later, Ray twirled a positively elated Evangeline through the flock of fireflies as he sang to the tune the jug band in the trees was giving him. The rest of the hoedown seemed like a glittery golden blur as the world became made up of each other, hearts swelling just to be together. They'd been totally unbothered by Evangeline's old city life, though word had it Henri and his friends hadn't stopped searching. It seemed Mama Odie had been right when she said that all they needed to keep him from finding her was each other.

"_Dip in de quicksand  
Dive in de wetland  
Soak in de mudbath  
You'll wanna stay, man  
It's true— dere always somet'ing to do  
In de straight-bow swamp, everybody have a view__!  
__De sunshine an' nightlife is fine  
__Wonderful sounds all around, you should see  
__Life in de swamp, wit' me!"_

Cousin Floyd took the moment to show off his skill with his accordion while little Ellie Sue helped out with her washboard. Thus, Ray was allowed a moment to enjoy the company of his beloved.

"Ray , you should sing forever," Evangeline giggled, blinking up at him after he dipped her.

"Tank ya, chere, but my lips gotta do udda stuffs sometimes, know what I'm sayin'?" Ray laughed, giving her a little peck as she spun upright again.

"I love nights like this," Evangeline sighed happily, gazing around at the glowing trees. "I've never been so happy in my life. I've got you, I've got a fantastic party…."

"Den I'm gon' keep tings like dis," promised Ray, grinning to show all six teeth. "De lights always gon' be glowin', de life gon' be a-flowin'. And you an' me, chere… we gon' be togedda always an' fo'eva, yeah." Floyd finished up his accordion solo, and Ray grinned apologetically at her. "Dat my cue, baby!"

"_Strike up de band, now  
__Too hot t' handle  
__Even a candle don' hold a candle t' me  
__Dere… always… sometin' t… _see?_"_

He realized everything had gone silent, and all the lights were now scattered about the bayou. "How come nobody helpin' out Ray?" he asked, but his question was answered when an enormous pair of feet clumped through the undergrowth, nearly crushing the two lovers before they darted into the safety of a patch of pickerelweed. All the other fireflies that hadn't vanished into the foliage scrambled wildly, trying to get there without losing their loved ones as a trio of humans burst into view.

"Hey, Pa, look at all the purdy fireflies!" boomed the child the feet belonged to. He was large and round for his age, accompanied by an older man and another, younger boy with long hair and a nasty expression on his face.

"Hush yo' trap, Darnell," snapped the man. "Keep dose eyes lookin' fo' frogs, not dese pesky lightnin' bugs!" The longhaired one grunted something indistinguishable, ending with him pounding his open hand with his other two-fingered fist.

"But they're so pretty, Pa!" rumbled the bigger child, prancing through the mud and causing more of Ray's family to realize they'd picked the wrong fetterbush to hide in and scatter.

"Evangeline, we gotta get ourselves outta here," whispered Ray to his petrified girlfriend. She was shaking in his arms, glassy-eyed and nearly crying. "When I says go, fly as fast as ya can away from de humans. Straight off ova into dose mangroves, ya hear me?" She gave an incoherent squeak. "Evangeline, ya hear me?" She nodded forcefully, and Ray took her hand tightly in his. "Ready…?" His eyes narrowed as the child galumphed into the bush across from them, back turned. "All right, darlin', get dose wings goin', 'cause here we go!" He zoomed across the swamp, half-carrying Evangeline.

"Look, Pa, more of them!" squealed the little boy, raising his hands to try and capture Ray and Evangeline. Ray swerved madly to avoid the trap as the thunderous clap split the night.

"'S awright, Evangeline," Ray murmured, hearing her scream. "'S awright, we gon' be okay, we gon' be fine…" Suddenly, a swing from that meaty palm tore their entwined hands apart and sent Ray spiraling out of control into a rock.

He awoke from his daze and got airborne again quickly, but not quickly enough to stop the second defeaning smack and the resulting shriek of pain.

"Pa, I got one!"

"Darnell, git your carcass down to this here bog!"

"Yes, Pa!"

And Evangeline's broken body tumbled from the boy's hands. "No, no, no, no, no," Ray whispered to himself as he flew as fast as his wings could carry him to her before she hit the ground. "Evangeline, honey, don' worry, you gon' be okay…"

Her huge eyes were dulled with pain as they locked onto his. "Ray…" she whispered as he swiftly changed direction towards their tree. "Ray…."

"Hush, now, baby. I'm gon' getcha home and you're gonna be jes' fine," Ray promised her, but he was all too horribly aware of how quickly her light was fading.

"Ray… I'm sorry… I wasn't fast enough," Evangeline croaked. She pressed her tiny, crushed body in towards Ray's, desperate for his warmth to fight off the chill freezing her from within.

"Evangeline, it ain't your fault," Ray said softly, kissing her forehead. "It don' mean nuttin', nohow, 'cause we gon' fix ya up real good." But deep in their hearts, they both knew she was beyond help, even if Ray didn't—_wouldn't_ dare to believe it.

"Do you think I'm gonna be a star?" she murmured, glazing eyes cast up at the night sky she'd always loved so much.

Ray's eyes stung as his heart broke, but he wasn't going to let her give up hope until he absolutely had to. "Darlin', you got a long time afore ya get up dere," he told her, but her light was almost out, no more than the occasional flicker. "You gon' be all right, and' we gon' get ourselves married, and have a buncha li'l larvae… Evangeline, I meant it when I said we gon' be togedda always an' fo'eva, yeah."

Evangeline reached up with all that remained of her strength to wipe an escaped tear from Ray's cheek. "And someday we will be," she breathed. He could tell how much it was hurting her to hold on- did it matter now that he could see their tree from here? "But we're gonna have to wait a while now…" She shuddered in his arms. "It's so cold, Ray…"

"Ssh… _mon amour,_ we almost home. Hang in dere, Evangeline… please, jes' hang in dere." But her eyes had fallen closed and the last of her glow was guttering out. Ray knew that there was nothing in this whole world that could save his love now.

"Ray." Her voice was so quiet, so agonized, that he almost couldn't hear her. "I love you… so much…." And as soon as Ray's feet touched the branches of their tree, she was gone.

* * *

Evangeline's funeral was the next night, the moment the sun had gone down. Ray himself had laid her shattered body into a leaf and carried it down to the bog with the help of Angela and Cousin Otis. Tears poured down his face as he watched her drifting along the water and out of sight. "Au revoir, ma belle," he whispered. He hovered numbly among the cattails, colder and emptier than he'd ever felt in his life.

* * *

Condolences had been given and the family had gone to mourn the loss of their city bug in their own way. Ray sat on a fluffy white dandelion, just like he had done with his Evangeline so many times, so many eons ago. The sky was dark with clouds, as if even the stars were secluded with grief over Evangeline's death.

"Ray-Ray, you all right?" Angela's gentle voice broke the silence. Her brother was normally so cheerful, forever shining on the bright side, but he hadn't so much as smiled since the night he came home carrying Evangeline's body. Just like now—normally he'd respond with something along the lines of, "Sho' ting, don' worry 'bout nuttin'!" But his only response was a sigh.

"You miss her somet'in' awful, donchya?" she said softly, landing on the dandelion next to him.

"It just… I cain't believe she ain't here wit' me now. I'm neva gon' hold her again, o' hear her voice…" Ray's voice trembled. "She de love o' my life. She was my everyt'ing, yeah…."

"But a part of her always gon' be wit' ya," Angela promised, putting a hand over Ray's heart. "Her heart was always yo's. And 'sides, 'memba what we always says 'bout de stars? Dey's our loved ones lookin' after us. So she neva really gone." Ray gave her a grateful little half-smile, and Angela hugged him gently.

A sudden gust of wind blew through Ray's wings, and the clouds rolled away. A new star glowed right in the center of the bayou sky, brighter and more beautiful than any Ray had ever seen.

"Evangeline…" breathed Ray, smiling for the first time since her light went out. "Look how beautiful you are now…"

"Toldja," said Angela, her relief at seeing Ray smile again bursting from her in a soft laugh.

Ray didn't seem to hear her. He spun up towards the sky, where his love would be twinkling above him forever. "Look how she lights up the sky," he sighed happily. He could and would stay right here every night, just to be with his beloved again. It wasn't quite the same, but it was enough to help him heal. "I love you, Evangeline."


	8. Epilogue

"Hey, chere," Ray croaked, looking up at his friends from the feather Louis had laid him on. Tiana was smiling down at him, tears in her bulgy brown eyes, Naveen's arm around her shoulder. Wait… hadn't they been trying to get turned human again? "How come ya'll… still…."

"We're stayin' frogs, Ray," Tiana said softly.

"And we're staying together," added Naveen.

Ray smiled. He'd known all along that their love for each other was more powerful than their desire to regain their real forms. He'd have done the same thing for her. "Oh, I like dat very much," he whispered. His eyes went to the sky, just like hers had as he carried her through the swamp, taking in the sight of the two frogs, the gator, and most of all the star smiling down at him, letting him know he was loved.

The star…

Evangeline had died ten whole years ago, and Ray hadn't missed a single chance to go out to their dandelion patch to see her shining. He'd talk to her, too, letting her know that he still loved her and he always would. No sense in forcing their hearts apart just because they couldn't really be together, he'd decided. She'd have been so happy to see Tiana's and Naveen's love grow….

"Evangeline like dat, too." _I'm comin', ma belle. _And Ray the firefly's light flickered out for good.

There was no more pain in his crushed body, just an endless expanse of brilliant white-blue light stretching as far as his eyes could see. Just as his mind was processing this, he heard a voice. It was barely more than a whisper, so quiet it could have been missed as the wind blowing through the bayou, but so sweet that the one word could have been a song.

"Ray?"

Ray turned around so fast his wings almost tore out of his back. Evangeline was looking back at him, just the same as ever, blinking her big green eyes like she couldn't believe what she was seeing either.

"Evangeline!" He zoomed forward an embraced her, reveling in the touch of her lips on his, the feel of her hair against his fingers, the sight of her light shining even brighter than it had in life.

"What happened to you?" she asked, clearly torn between being overjoyed at their reunion and horrified at his death.

"Yo' Shadow Man done squash me," said Ray with a shrug. "But I don' care, I lived a good long time, yeah. An' even betta…"

"We're together again," Evangeline finished, gazing up into his eyes, tears of joy glistening in hers. He could _feel_ the hole in his heart mending just to see her smiling again. "I missed you so much, Ray…"

"An' I missed you too, darlin'," Ray whispered, beaming back at her. "All de crittas in de swamp t'ought I was crazy talkin' to a star, but I knowed it was you all de time."

Evangeline leaned her head against his thorax, just like she always used to. "And now we really will always be together," she promised. "Just like you always said."

"Always an' fo'eva, yeah," agreed Ray. And he kissed her.

The two fireflies shone brighter than any other stars in the sky with the power of their love, watching over Tiana and Naveen's happily ever after unfold before their eyes. Neither thought they'd ever see the other again after that fateful night, but love always finds a way, it's true.

* * *

The end! Hope you enjoyed it ^_^ Please review if you did, it's really depressing to get through an entire fic and have no comments!


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